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| coec:commons_economy [2025/12/06 14:23] – dave | coec:commons_economy [2025/12/17 04:30] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1 |
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| _Elinor Ostrom, whose work made it clear that commoning is not about a ‘free-for-all’, but responsible governance of resources. Image: [Holger Motzkau](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Prolineserver), [CC-by-SA-3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)._ | _Elinor Ostrom, whose work made it clear that commoning is not about a ‘free-for-all’, but responsible governance of resources. Image: [Holger Motzkau](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Prolineserver), [CC-by-SA-3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)._ |
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| In a commons economy, mutual credit is a tool for accounting for exchange, but it doesn’t provide a store of value. Future-use vouchers (a.k.a. ‘use-credit obligations’) can be used to save / store value / provide non-monetary pensions. | _In a commons economy, mutual credit is a tool for accounting for exchange, but it doesn’t provide a store of value. Future-use vouchers (a.k.a. ‘use-credit obligations’) can be used to save / store value / provide non-monetary pensions._ |
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| Stroud Commons: inaugural event. | _Stroud Commons: inaugural event._ |
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| An economy based on credit clearing, mutual credit and commons ownership would insulate local economies from wider financial downturns. | _An economy based on credit clearing, mutual credit and commons ownership would insulate local economies from wider financial downturns._ |
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| People in communities (e.g. in Switzerland, Japan, Spain and the Philippines) where there are commons for irrigation, pasture, woodlands etc. have for centuries organised themselves to set and monitor rules, and sanction those breaking them. This has developed excellent organisational skills for community cohesion in times of shortage or hardship. | People in communities (e.g. in Switzerland, Japan, Spain and the Philippines) where there are commons for irrigation, pasture, woodlands etc. have for centuries organised themselves to set and monitor rules, and sanction those breaking them. This has developed excellent organisational skills for community cohesion in times of shortage or hardship. |
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| An economy based on credit clearing, mutual credit and commons ownership would insulate local economies from wider financial downturns. | _An economy based on credit clearing, mutual credit and commons ownership would insulate local economies from wider financial downturns._ |
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| Communities are strengthened and become safer, friendlier and more fun, and towns retain their character and uniqueness. | Communities are strengthened and become safer, friendlier and more fun, and towns retain their character and uniqueness. |
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| The commons economy generates more (and more meaningful) jobs, managing schemes and maintaining properties / infrastructure. | _The commons economy generates more (and more meaningful) jobs, managing schemes and maintaining properties / infrastructure._ |
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| Subscribe to our newsletter for commons news; comment on the blog, or [send us an article](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/blog-article-social-media-policy/); and of course, please share this page with anyone you think might be interested. We’d like to invite everyone to be a commoner! | Subscribe to our newsletter for commons news; comment on the blog, or [send us an article](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/blog-article-social-media-policy/); and of course, please share this page with anyone you think might be interested. We’d like to invite everyone to be a commoner! |
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| ## Further resources | ## Further resources |
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| - Elinor Ostrom's [_Governing the Commons_](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/ostrom_1990.pdf) (pdf) | - Elinor Ostrom's _[Governing the Commons](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/ostrom_1990.pdf)_ (pdf) |
| - Here’s more about [‘commoning’](/comg/commoning), [housing commons](/hoco/Housing_commons), [energy commons](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/posts/how-to-build-an-energy-commons), [climbing commons](http://climbingcommons.org/), [friendly societies](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/posts/bear-ye-one-anothers-burdens-friendly-societies-for-social-welfare) (social care commons) and [here’s a longer article](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/posts/replacing-capitalism-the-why-what-how-and-who-of-growing-the-commons-economy) about the why, what, how and who of the commons economy. | - Here’s more about [‘commoning’](/comg/commoning), [housing commons](/hoco/Housing_commons), [energy commons](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/posts/how-to-build-an-energy-commons), [climbing commons](http://climbingcommons.org/), [friendly societies](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/posts/bear-ye-one-anothers-burdens-friendly-societies-for-social-welfare) (social care commons) and [here’s a longer article](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/posts/replacing-capitalism-the-why-what-how-and-who-of-growing-the-commons-economy) about the why, what, how and who of the commons economy. |
| - [Credit commons](/crco/credit_commons): the 'money system' for the commons economy | - [Credit commons](/crco/credit_commons): the 'money system' for the commons economy |
| - [Island Power](https://www.island-power.net/) - smart accelerator for energy commons | - [Island Power](https://www.island-power.net/) - smart accelerator for energy commons |
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| ## Specialists | ## Specialist curators of this topic |
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